NieR:Automata - Memories of Black
by GuiltyXsworD14
Summary: 2B has decided to break off the vicious cycle. With 2B's desertion, 9S, fresh from personal data re-installation, was tasked by Command to find her. 9S, unknowing of Command's real agenda for 2B, searches for her. Paired with a YoRHa battle unit, will 9S catch 2B's traces alive? [2B/9S]
1. Preview

**AN:** Sup ^_^ It doesn't take a genius to understand that I've fallen in love with this game 3 Yoko Taro-san was merciful enough to let us fan-peasants be free of how we interpret 9S and 2B's relationship. THEREFORE, I've written a story about them.

 **NOTE:** This is just a preview of chapter 1. (Kinda like a teaser?) Also, this is not a post-E story. (The title is already the hint if you read some side materials) Apologies to any grammatical or stupid errors. Now read and hate me.

* * *

Seeing the sleeping face of a young man as the wind caressed his disheveled hair made 2B bite her lip in anguish.

In front of her was a young YoRHa male unit that she has successfully put on temporary shutdown. It wasn't dead. Just temporarily dead. A contrary to her order which was to eliminate the said YoRHa unit.

The black visor that she held squeaked against her glove that gripped the item in full force.

"...I've...," She said with trembling voice. "...enough..."

Her cry reverberated across the coastline. "...I've had enough of this..." Tears laced down from her dull blue eyes. She felt the weight of the world pinning down on her ragged body. The cyclic order she accepted from Command was slowly sinking its fangs to her core.

"...that's why..." As if gaining a new resolve, she stood firm and gripped her visor tighter. She wiped her tears, showing the reflection of the ocean's light in her eyes.

She looked to the 2 rectangular machines beside the sleeping unit. At first, she glared at the two non-functional Pods, afterwards, a softened gaze like a mother to her children. 2B fastened her visor to Pod 042's rectangular body, patting the Pod on the head for the last time.

"...I leave him in your care now." She smiled, leaving the fate of the YoRHa boy to the Pods.

She glanced and went near to the YoRHa unit that she was meant to destroy. White hair, well-lined brows, tender lashes and its flesh lips. She took-in all the little details of the unit as she gently touched its warm cheek.

2B gently pressed her head against him. 'If Gods do exist, I pray to you.' Her forehead met his. 'Set us free from this cycle.' Her tears dropped to 9S's face like droplets of gloomy rain. If she had the choice, she wouldn't let go of him. But now, things will be different. She prayed to the invisible Gods that her choice this time won't be a mistake.

"Good bye..." She smiled. "...Nines..." She lifted her touch on 9S. She never knew for herself that she could smile yet feel sad at the same time.

* * *

 **Author:** +_+ well? did it somehow pique your interest? Let me know if you want me to continue :) Also, I write in the Japanese-local point of view. Cuz the English one somehow portrayed 2B as 'too-strong' of a character. (I love Kira Buckland and Kyle McCarley's portrayal tho) Point out any OoC stuffs and mistakes if ever :)


	2. Chapter 1

-9S POV-

"Default personal data installed. Initiating reboot sequence…" Pod 153 hovered over 9S's head. "Good morning, unit 9S."

The first thing I heard was the mechanical female voice of Pod 153. The Pod was greeting me face-to-face as I blinked. Confusion ensued right after that. I notice the soft bed I was in and the white ceiling behind Pod. Why am I in the bunker? "Pod, give me a report of what happened."

There was a pause to the Pod's response as if she was thinking of how to narrate the previous events. "Report: During a reconnaissance mission with unit 7B at the coast, enemy machines ambushed. Both 9S and 7B were unable to retaliate. Due to poor reception in the area, unit 9S failed to upload both units' personal data. 24 hours have passed after the unit's destruction. End report."

"…." So I basically died. It's kinda frustrating that I lost to machines but what happened, happened. Wait…7B? I was with a combat model? "Pod, why was I paired with a combat model?"

"Reason unknown."

"Huh…" I huffed my dissatisfaction to Pod's answer.

Weird. If Command wanted intel, we Scanner models should do. I cupped my chin to think of it harder. Unless it wasn't really a recon mission but that beats the reason for a Scanner model to be there. Oh well, I guess orders are orders.

As if affirming what I've thought, Pod 153 rang with a call. I hastily went for my visors to strap it over my eyes.

"21O to unit 9S."

"9S here."

"The Commander is requesting for you along with 7B."

Again, 7B. "…roger that."

"Alright, that is all. 21O out."

"Wait, operator." Should I ask why I'm with 7B? Or should I meet with the unit, herself?

Operator 21O was waiting for my continuation. "…If you're only stalling for time, I'm going to cut the call."

"Nononono, wait a second. I just want to ask why I'm paired with 7B." In haste, I asked without masking my question.

"…It's the Commander's orders." I can feel she wanted to add more detail to her statement then decided not to continue. "21O out."

'It's orders so deal with it', huh. She's clearly colder than usual but I don't hate that about her. Anyways, need to meet up with 7B. I don't have records of her so I'm slightly anxious.

The metal doors slid open as I exited my room. Pod followed suit, hovering a meter after me. If I remember right, 7B's room should be near the Hangar elevator. I ran along the hallway and got pass 6O's room, the Command room and the Transporter. I see one more room before the hangar. Is that it?

The metal floor clanged against the outsole of my boots. The noise stopped as I halted. "Oh, looks like I got it wrong," I spoke to myself. The room in front of me was labelled 2B. So I guess the other room after the Hangar is 7B's. "Okay, on to the next room."

"You must be 9S." Someone called from behind. It was a carefree, feminine voice.

I turned to see the owner of the voice. She wore an oddly different black YoRHa uniform. Her dress was a one piece with hanging skirt tendrils. Her white hair was arranged in a braided bun while having bangs in front. Her forearms where adorned with a black-white themed arm guard as her knees were protected by high-heel, knee-long boots. And with accordance to YoRHa regulations, she wore her black goggles. She was elegant if not simply beautiful. "…7B…-san?"

"Yep, 7B at your service. Also, I'd appreciate it if you dropped the honorifics. " She smiled, burning a rebellious yet obedient impression at me. 7B glanced at the metal door that I stood from. For a moment, I thought she glared at it. "…why are you in front of 2B's room?"

"Commander was requesting for us." It felt like I was making an excuse. "So I thought I'd come to pick you up in your room." I beamed a smile to make it more believable. "But I guess I got the wrong room." Not to mention you weren't in your room.

"Oh, 's that so? Then I guess we should get a move on." She walked towards where she came from. "Don't want to get nagged at by Operators, do we?" 7B playfully turned. She sure smiles a lot.

"Right," I nodded in agreement.

We strolled along the hallway towards the command room. It was steadily silent between us. "Hey, 7B. Do you have data on our past mission?" The officiousness within me started a conversation.

7B glanced behind to face me. "…past mission?"

"Well, yeah. Pod here told me we were on a mission together after we got ambushed by machines." I continued talking while tailing her. "Unfortunately, I didn't upload my personal data on time."

Her smile faded into a poker-face expression. "…I guess that goes for the two of us, then. I don't remember being on a mission with you."

My curiosity isn't being fed well today. Dejected with the thought, I huffed once more. "…Oh, I see."

"But why do you want the data?"

I raise a brow behind my visor as I heard her. "Oh, it's for curiosity's sake. We Scanner models are usually alone for recon so I was wondering why I got partnered with a battle unit."

7B studied my reply. "…your curiosity is pretty troublesome, huh."

My pulse rate rose for the moment to respond to 7B's comment. I sensed an imaginary dagger being pointed at my blind spot. "…y-yeah. I guess so." That didn't end well, did it? I could tell it didn't. We were silent as we approached the doors to the command room like we were on cold war. The metallic clangs of her heels and my boots sounded louder than before. Maybe I should stop wondering for the reasons of our pairing?

The Command room is as busy as ever. Operators can't seem to take their eyes off the screens facing them. As we got off the elevator, I could see the Commander talking to four Operators. "That's all, dismissed." The group swarming her dispersed like bees out of their hives. She noticed us coming her way as if our arrival was on schedule.

"Ah, 9S and 7B. I have a mission for you." She wasted no time to fill us in. "This will be confidential and involves a deserter of YoRHa."

The command room suddenly quieted down. "…Eh..?" Although my communication functions are working fine, I doubted what I heard. It's like being told that a human was found somewhere. "…a deserter…?"

"Yes. The deserter is 2B, YoRHa No. 2 Type B. Your mission is to find her and take her back."

That's the room name that I stopped by earlier. To think it was the room of a deserter. At the back of my head, I wondered why she deserted.

"I've heard that 9S models specialize in reconnaissance. If the deserter decides to struggle, 7B will back you up."

Now I know why I'm being paired with her. But it doesn't explain why I got paired with her before. Not like asking Command will draw an answer. They'll just consider it irrelevant.

"Mission accepted, Commander," says 7B.

The way she easily accepts the mission somehow scared me. We're going to catch a deserter you know? If we fail to do that and the deserter retaliates, things will end badly. I can't explain why, but giving an easy 'roger that' to this made my throat dry. "…i-isn't finding a YoRHa unit done by the R&D department?"

Both female androids stared at me like I said something unnecessary. Commander voiced the reason. "Although we've occasionally been picking up faint signals of her black box, we can't exactly pinpoint its location. It is speculated that she has a type of signal jammer on her hands."

So Command placed an order for ground reconnaissance. I really don't like this. It's as if we're going in blind. And the deserter is a Battle type to boot.

"2B is well-versed in combat. 7B and 9S, don't ever let your guard down when facing her." Commander warned us with momentum.

The feeling of dread and curiosity didn't mix well within me. I want to know why unit 2B deserted knowing full well that YoRHa will be her enemy other than the machine lifeforms. Yet, the feeling of danger and not wanting to be killed by a fellow YoRHa unit scares me on equal measure.

"…roger that," I finally agreed. It's not like we can choose our missions for ourselves.

* * *

 **Author:** I don't think i'm good with this first-person writing but I tried nonetheless. I'll be shifting from first person to third person if the situation dictates. (Tell me if you want third person more. I'll gladly change it.) For 7B's details, I got it from a reddit fanart by col_commandz and I would like to credit him/her here. To those that got interested in this fanfic, thanks so much and I hope I won't be disappointing you anytime soon. Any unintended loopholes and/or OoC movements are welcome to be pointed out. :) (And yes, I know that 7B is that sleeping android in her room. There are some theories about her so I jumped into the bandwagon.)


	3. Chapter 2

The heat in the desert was bearable for androids with the right equipment. 2B's dull blue eyes squinted against the sun's rays. Sand swallowed her heels as she walked towards her destination. The day was smiling at her with zero sand storms so far.

14 hours have passed since 2B's desertion. She's had some close calls, but no battle encounters, with YoRHa. At the city ruins, she hid from building to building, not stopping on a single one for more than 30 minutes. When she stopped due to a little maintenance, YoRHa androids suddenly caught up on her tracks. She got away before they saw her but she wasn't planning on doing something like maintenance anytime soon.

'Maybe I should thank this thing for jamming the signal.' 2B directed her gratitude towards the rectangular contraption on her hands. It was a handheld signal jammer that she looted from a Goliath Biped on her solo mission. When she decided to pick the item up, the plan of deserting YoRHa started.

The harsh dry wind of the desert blew on 2B's face as if to simmer salt on her smooth-sailing desertion. 'I shouldn't have left my visor to Pod.' Her eyes were barely open.

As she was reminded of her visor, 2B thought of 9S. A pang of anxiety hit her; memories of how she left his body beside the coast drove her to tears. It caused her to think that maybe her plan was a pointless struggle. At some point, a YoRHa execution team will catch up to her and drag her back to the endless cycle of killing 9S. She shuddered on the thought. Her breathing patterns became irregular as if her lungs were clogged. Her pulse rate was reaching new heights. She was trying to imagine the worst case scenario.

'No. I can't think like this.' 2B blew a breath to calm herself. She guarded her eyes against the debris. '9S should be safe in the bunker by now. Pod 042 should've-' 2B halts her thought process instantly.

She was overseeing an oasis; complete with coconut trees and a pond. However, there were also some unnatural things in the place such as crates and open attaché cases. 2B registered the items she saw. Terror crawled on her synthetic skin and adrenaline rushed to her whole body. 'YoRHa equipments?!'

"Hah!"

"Khhgg-"

Two metals met with one another, creating sparks in between. 2B shielded the surprise attack with her Virtuous Contract. Her teeth grated as she felt the sudden force hit the sword.

The unknown YoRHa unit placed her weight on her sword. "Heh, you're as nimble as ever, 2B!" She grinned in contrast to her hidden lifeless eyes that saw 2B's empowered glare.

"8B!" 2B's heels drilled on the uneven sand. Her foot that supported her defense was slipping down the sand slope. "Kuh—" Her balance, lost with 8B's constant push. With the current pace, 2B will be tumbling down the slope in a matter of seconds; a situation that will point her in a more disadvantageous position.

2B momentarily loosened her resistance against the aggressor, causing 8B to point her attack towards the downhill behind 2B.

'Like hell I'm going down alone!' Quick wits and movement made 8B clash herself with 2B. Both YoRHa units barreled down the inclined plane and mended towards the pond.

"Ooof!"

"Gghh.."

Sand dust traced behind their tumbling bodies. Their uniforms now clouded with more sand.

As they reached the even ground, 2B broke off their barrel roll to gain distance. She skidded across the pond like a skipping stone before elegantly gaining momentum to stand defensively. Water dripped down on her figure and sword, cooling her previously heated body.

8B rolled just before the pond. As soon as she lost her momentum, she remained crucified alongside the desert sand and simply gazed at the azure sky. Her white hair was scruffy and her battle uniform was dusty. But none of that mattered. Her goggles hid her eyes that were devoid of vitality. Because she discovered that the YoRHa soldiers' reason for fighting was already….

"Hey, 2B…" 8B stayed low on the ground. "Why did you decide to desert? …could it be that you…" She hesitated to continue her inquiry. Rather, she didn't know if saying it to a fellow YoRHa was safe. Her paranoia even got to the point that she suspected her Pod to be some sort of wiretap for Command, thereby leaving her Pod deactivated somewhere in the desert.

'It has to be subtle but should be understandable if she knows.' So now, 8B had to rephrase what she had to say. "…could it be that you…discovered some kind of classified information…?"

The deserter picked up on unit 8B's abrupt lack of hostility. 'Classified information?' 2B didn't let her guard down but 8B's wording caught her thoughts.

Unfortunately, 8B was wrong. 2B deserted for only one reason; to stop killing 9S. "I deserted for my own reasons." The image of 9S being stabbed by a white sword randomly flashed through her mind. He begged for 2B to believe in him, coughing blood as he said so. '…to prevent something like that from happen again…' Her heart felt heavier than her own body.

8B heard her answer. "I see. Good for you." She stood by a get-up and clenched the hilt of her Type-40 sword repeatedly as if to test her grip strength. 'At least you seem to have a different goal.' Her lip curled to a slight smile.

"Get out of here. I've called for reinforcements before I ambushed you. They should be here anytime soon."

2B wanted to rebut. '…this is insubordination.' As an Execution type, 2E was tasked to eliminate rogue YoRHa units when Command dictates. Now that she's left YoRHa, this function currently made her experience a complicated feeling. That function was her whole life before her desertion plan. And that function was her reason to start the plan. And at present, she's in front a rebellious YoRHa unit. Even though she has no reason to either detain or eliminate this rebellious unit, she almost thought of 'a rogue unit shall be eliminated'.

"...Understood."

Tension between them dissipated as 2B turned her back from 8B.

"8B…"

The mentioned android wore a question mark.

"…be careful."

8B was surprised. She understood the renegade's word almost instantly. Her hands felt cold despite the desert heat. Her stomach clumped inwards like a punch to the solar plexus. "…yeah. I will."

2B ran away from the oasis that she thought would hide her for a time.

8B saw her as she got further away. The raging sand dust began to cloud 2B's figure as if to hide her from scrutinizing eyes. That was it. That was her first rebellion against Command. She let a rogue unit escape without reason.

"Captain!"

Two units in battle regalia dashed towards 8B.

"Are you safe, captain?"

"Where's 2B?"

They didn't waste time in assessing the situation. 8B stared at them proudly. The two units in her vision was her pride. She trained the two ever since they were freshly manufactured. The first one with brown short hair had a very aggressive personality. She would occasionally fight with the other unit that had burning red hair saying that the other one is stupid and lacks belligerence.

"I'm fine, 22B and 64B. 2B escaped to an unknown direction."

The two units gaped in disbelief. If only they arrived sooner, maybe 2B would've already been detained. They thought of this as guilt spread through their conscience. The brown haired 64B unequipped her combat bracers. 22B followed suit and placed the heavy Type-40 Blade behind her.

"I'm sorry, captain. If only we came sooner."

The howling desert wind reprimanded the tardy units.

"…actually, I let 2B run away." 8B confessed to her team.

"But that's…"

"…that's against the commanders orders."

64B and 22B became worried. They understood that their captain's blunder was intentional and she was going in contradiction of Command. All YoRHa units know that having doubts against the Commander is the same as having doubts against YoRHa as a whole.

"It's not like I did it without reason." 8B slid her visor down to her neck. Her eyes gleamed with a different dull. "Truth is, I wish to tell you two a secret-"

"And that secret is?"

A fourth unit came barging in their little circle. 8B twitched to the voice's direction. It was another YoRHa unit with black-white themed arm-guard. Its skirt tendrils flew along with the wind. 8B never felt for her life as she saw this unknown unit walk closer. 'Did she hear the whole conversation?!' Cold sweat formed on her clenched fist. If it did hear the conversation, it will only be a matter of time before she's hunted down like 2B.

The unknown unit stabbed 8B with her stare. It was waiting for unit 8B's reply. 8B saw its smile that never faltered, which, in turn, made 8B even more scared. 'This unit is dangerous…!'

"Anyway," The unit broke its eye contact with 8B. "Where did the deserter go?"

"Aren't you supposed to introduce yourself first?" 64B went hostile towards it. She got in between her captain and the braided bun unit as if shielding her.

Silence from the unit was its first answer. It rubbed its chin, thinking if it should disclose its official name. "YoRHa No. 7 Type B, at your service!" She decided. 7B placed her left hand to the ruffles on her chest.

"7B, huh?" The captain moved closer to 7B. "Sorry to inform you but she escaped to an unknown direction. We're going to survey this oasis for a while if she ever comes back."

"Oh, is that so? Then I guess I better start my own search then." 7B still wore her idiotic smile. She was playfully skipping in the pond area. "See ya guys~" She waved good bye to them.

It's like a storm passed by and the three-man team couldn't even defend themselves. They watched as the battle unit went away.

8B couldn't believe what was happening. '…she's going towards where 2B went…! Was she surveying the pond earlier?!'

7B walked stealthily away from the oasis. 'Secret, huh? That team sure is suspicious. I better report them later to Commander…but first…' She looked on the sand she was walking on. A set of footprints that were almost covered by the upcoming sand storm was a bit visible to her. '...To think 2B would desert…' She couldn't describe the sensation she's currently undergoing. It felt bitter like she was stabbed behind. '…unforgivable…'

7B has heard stories of 2B in the bunker. 2B was cool, efficient and most of all elegant when it comes to her missions. Operators even formed a kind of fan club for her. She was THAT famous.

'…2B, I will never forgive whoever influenced your desertion.' 2B was 7B's goal. She downloaded every battle data of 2B; tried the techniques of 2B; killed her fellow YoRHa units like 2E; and cried like 2E when 7E killed fellow YoRHas. In 7B's eyes, she knew that the only one who can understand her well was 2B…because they shared the same cursed role.

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 **Author:** I think it was obvious about 7B being **, right? For some reason, I can't seem to write 2B in a first person basis :( Anyway, here's chap 2. This whole chap was basically a pun for the word desert and desertion LOL. Feel free to ask questions and point out stuff. Thank you again for reading :)


	4. Chapter 3

"Pod, let's start with the maintenance."

"Understood. Initiating maintenance. Proposal: Engage visual sensor diagnostics." Pod153's voice echoed on the vast hacking space.

"Will do."

Hacking tiles were noticeable before the visual system blocks. My avatar on the cybernetic world hovered towards those said tiles one after another. I really like being here. Its deadly quiet and I know that this space is mine to fiddle with; like a sense of ownership.

"Visual diagnostics complete. No issues detected. Proposal: Engage audio sensor diagnostics."

"Hai hai~~"

I moved to the second row of my logic circuit. Audio system blocks were tidily placed in a line. As much as I like being in this hacking space, maintenance can sometimes be a chore. Since I have that mission with finding the deserter, it was required that I and 7B undergo maintenance before heading out. She should be under maintenance, too, right about now.

Actually, I am bothered by that deserter. From time to time, there'd be an incident like this. YoRHa units would decide to rebel for reasons like they're sick of fighting or they're fed up of the Commander being a slave driver, which is very justifiable in my opinion. Those rogue units will then be dragged back to the Bunker so that they could 'start on a clean slate'.

"Audio diagnostics complete. No issues detected. Proposal: Engage Memory core diagnostics."

The next on agenda is my memory core. As I'd expect it, the hallway to my memory sure is white and…blank. Well, that's a given of course, since I just recently installed my default memory.

I hacked my memory cores starting from the farthest left; my oldest memories.

That deserter sure is something though. Where did she get something like a signal jammer? Looting enemy machines? If she did, then that means she must have really despised YoRHa; to the extent of borrowing enemy weapons. But why would she hate YoRHa? What's driving her? …Why can't I keep her out of my thoughts? And why…do I feel oddly tense whenever I hear the deserter's name? When I hear it, warmth courses through my core…

A static noise emerged from the system as if to distract me from my thoughts. And I'm also finished with my memory cores, too.

"Did you hear that, Pod?"

The silence of hacking space was shockingly still. Pod 153 didn't answer my query.

"…Pod?"

Again, the hacking space answered for me. Did it get disconnected somehow? I pretended to panic, swirling my pointer around. Pod being disconnected is probably that static's fault. Maybe I should check it out.

My cursor-like avatar swam across the logic circuit. My visual and audio systems don't seem to be damaged. And if I recall, I heard the static after the memory core diagnostics.

I went back to my memory cores and saw that it was as smooth and undamaged as I left it. That's what I thought. But further scanning the farthest left, I saw a block of memory which looked broken and crumbled. Bits of its data were corroding and it doesn't seem to be permanently installed in my memory system.

I don't remember it being there earlier. It could be a persistent virus from my previous self…or it could be my old memory. My curiosity fought with my logic. While this happened, the crumbling block was being reduced to merely 15% left of its original size. I decided to favour my curiosity a hundred times over.

"Hacking the damaged memory core," I reported to no one.

A small tide of images flew to my mind. I say images but those images were also being corrupted. It felt like sand being swept away in my hands. I saved one particular image from the corrupted ones. It was a YoRHa unit's back and she was staring at the clouds. From the image's angle, I was sitting a little bit away from her and was literally just looking at her bare back. Nothing about the neck and face; just the back down to her heels.

Was I enamoured by this unit's bare back? Was I that perverted back then? I continued judging my previous self negatively. Then again, I guess she DID have a nice back and figure.

"?!"

Another static noise emerged from the silent space.

"So it WAS a virus!"

"Denial: Static noise caused by unit 7B's incoming call." It was the voice of Pod 153.

"Pod…? Where have you been?"

"Proposal: unit 9S should answer 7B's call immediately."

Pod dodged my question. Picking up that it didn't want to answer me, I sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Activate my body."

It was the boring white-metallic ceiling of my room. I sat up and glanced beside me to get my visor. Though I do have spare goggles in my drawer, I don't remember ever getting two of those? 'Cause at the moment, there are two of them beside me. My visor was beside me as where I left them, but there's one more beside it. I grabbed it to inspect. It looks customized. The right side looks like it covers majority of the wearer's face unlike its other half.

"9S, are you there?"

7B's voice jolted me awake. I instinctively hid the unknown visor behind me.

"9S here. I can hear you. Are you done with maintenance?"

"Sure am! And it's thanks to 801S."

I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Scanner models can do maintenance since its one of our jobs, but that guy is just…

"How 'bout you? Are you ready to go?" 7B sounded like she was going out on a field trip.

"Yeah, I'll meet up with you in the Hangar."

"Noted! See 'ya, 9S!"

7B cheerfully ended the correspondence. I'll say this now. I'm not good with her. As much as I like cheery-skipping girls, I can't shake the feeling that she's pulling strings of a sort. There's a part of me that doubts her unusually happy atmosphere. Then again, I'm not the type to trust anyone willingly so who am I to talk?

"Pod, were you the one who placed this visor?" Unless no one entered this room during my maintenance, it's normal to suspect Pod.

"Negative: This Pod was not responsible for the visor's sudden appearance."

"Then, someone must have entered my room."

"Negative: 9S underwent maintenance without external interference."

…What? That's just impossible. You expect me to believe that this visor just materialized out of nowhere? I shadily stared at Pod 153. This is the first time I'm hearing a lying Pod. Or is it telling the truth, actually? I divert my attention to the peculiar goggles. Who does this visor belong to?

"Pod, can you trace who this visor belonged to?"

"Scanning the item…" Light was emitted from Pod 153's scanner. "Complete. Owner ID cannot be traced. ID access requires a higher authority level."

"What?" This is getting complicated. So the owner of this is an important person? To the point that even a Pod has no authority to trace? Knowing this, minimal excitement tickled me. I want to know who this visor's owner is even more. It's unfortunate, though that I have little time in my hands.

I'm pretty sure 7B's already waiting for me in the Hangar. "I'll bring this." I tuck the visor in the little bag. I'll check it out when we have our breaks during the mission. "Alright, time to go to the Hangar."

I ran along the empty corridor, passing by the command room and transporters.

This is the shortest route, so I had no choice but to pass by THAT room. Was I infected by a virus, after all? This 'odd tension' seems to be stronger than the last time. I feel a churn in my belly as I realized that. I ran faster and focused my eyes to the elevator. I mustn't look at its label. I mustn't look at its label. I mustn't look at its label. I etched those words in me as I ran past the room.

I saw the label on my peripheral. '2B'. Boiling chemicals ran a hole in my stomach. I bit my lip and ran my fastest, running away from the door.

"Alert: 9S's pulse rate rising. Proposal: Stop running away."

* * *

 **Author:**...uhh yeah...somehow things went like that. Don't know how, but it did. Thank you for reading :)


	5. Chapter 4

This was the first time that 2B appreciated trees. Seeing vegetation after miles of walk in sand gradually shook off the dusty feeling out of her.

After her encounter with 8B, she ran her hardest to get out of the desert. Sand reduced her vision and the harsh gust of sand storm ravaged her uniform. She had no choice. If she wanted her traces erased in the desert, going through a sand storm should cover her. Her tiresome battle with the sandstorm progressively minimized and so did the amount of sand in the environment. Next she noticed she was already standing between the clear division of forestry and sand. God must really exist in 2B's world. And He's favouring her with gifts of luck.

The smell of pure water and sight of green crushed her tension to pieces. As she walked, tens of different life gawked at her. Moose and boars alike watched her fascinated eyes that bore the forest's daunting beauty. 2B was smitten by the green life. Before, she paid it no heed, thinking that it was unnecessary. Thinking that emotions were prohibited.

 _That's right. That time, I was with 9S. Walking at grass that looked like a path, we headed to a fishing spot._

" _Hey, 2B. Apparently there's this fish called mackerel around these parts." He played with the floating monitor, showing off his recent research. "One of our units ate one during her break and guess what happened?"_

 _I stared at him for an answer, implicitly curious._

" _Her body fluids solidified and she ceased to function!" Sparkles of intense curiosity showed under his goggles. "When she was questioned, she said: 'Well, it DID taste good, though.' Can you believe it?"_

 _It hurt me to look at it. That awfully bright smile that he lets on now will be plunged in blood. I'll be stealing that smile away from him soon; using these soiled hands. But contradictory to such acrimonious feeling, I was happy for him. I cannot label the feeling. Seeing him flashing out such wide grin tightens my chest. It was a mix of anxiety and optimism but not to the point of bitterness. Instead, it felt calming. Like light appearing from the darkest cave._

 _Yet still, I decided to look away from that light. Because if I didn't, I'll be unable to fulfil my mission. That fine line managed to stop me from breaking. It made me feel a frustration that I could never hope to understand._

" _9S, emotions are prohibited. We're here to gather intel on marine life. Not to have fun."_

" _Yeah, yeah..._ _" Then I heard mutters that I failed to comprehend._

 _Later that time, while 9S was drowsily waiting for a catch, I stood behind him…sword in my hand._

2B recalled the utter helplessness she felt. No matter how she stopped him, no matter how many warnings she said to him, no matter how cold she treated him, it resulted into the same inevitable end. The scowl on her face was painted with bitterness and guilt. She didn't—couldn't—understand what those feelings were. Yet she decided. She won't do it again.

The chains called duty and mission were finally gone, although it led her to be chased by her own comrades. She weighed the two burdens in a scale and the later was definitely lighter. 2B didn't know why destroying others were far more manageable than killing one curious unit.

At a moment, 2B noticed a bright thing beside the forest of green. "This flower is…" She bends her knees to take a closer look on the flower. Shaped like a star, it shone brightly.

" _A legend from the Old World says that this flower can grant wishes. 2B, do you have wishes you want granted?"_

Words came drifting from 2B's memory core. A heavy burden began to dawn at her. Hearing the soft whispers of someone who wasn't there gave her complex and unpleasant vibes. It's as if walls began to form around her, isolating her from something that she'd always yearned for.

This can't continue. Everything she sees reminds her of 9S. The person she had always ****-ed.

2B caressed the flower's petal. Its light reflected on her dully coloured eyes, illuminating it with a hope she has set to believe in. No matter how impossible it may seem to anyone. "I…want to meet 9S…"

At the rustling of bushes, 2B hid behind a tree. Something just moved. And it was close to her. 'Is it pursuers?!' Reminiscing took too much precious time in her hands. Regret took over her as she stuck her back on a tree.

"'Is it pursuers'… must be what you're thinking right now. Am I right? 2B-san?"

2B's non-existent heart almost got ripped off. She was right. A pursuer followed. 2B's turbulent pulse got in her hearing's way but she was sure. The hunter was just behind her. The only thing that was separating them was the huge tree 2B was leaning on.

"My official designation is YoRHa No. 7 Type…B…known as 7B."

Chaos formed in 2B's head. 'Type B?' She didn't know if she should be relieved to know a type E wasn't sent out for her, doubt the android of her statement, or panic since a YoRHa found her. Despite all the bedlam in her thoughts, she gripped her sword near, ready for combat.

"I'm utterly confused, 2B-san," The YoRHa named 7B continued. Her voice this time waned to a disappointment. "You were a splendid soldier. Why did you have to fail me and desert? What's the reason?"

7B only talked but her words attacked 2B's logical functions to extended heights. 'Fail me, she said. What is she talking about?' Comprehending the enemy was wearing her down and the stiffness in the air suggests that 2B answer her soon.

"Why do you want to know? If you have orders to take me back, you should just do so."

Contrary, 2B doesn't want the latter situation. She couldn't read the atmosphere. Dead silence and chirping birds were the worst background music for her situation.

The chirping birds flew in great numbers. They were flying away from the forest. By instinct, those free-to-fly animals knew that the forest is now a dangerous place.

"Then by orders," 7B came from above. "I'll be bringing you back!"

2B rolled away from the tree she was slumping on. Taking on a hit that huge would only damage her body. Quick wits knew that being surprised can come later. 'She was supposed to be behind me. How did she…!'

The tree was cut into two. A clean vertical cut. 7B took recoil and stayed crouching to lessen it. She came from in front of 2B, in contrast to where 2B was hearing her voice. What kind of magic did 7B do?

"Pod program!" The debris from the cut tree cleared out. 2B glared at the whitish hologram that took 7B's form. It was being projected by a grey pod.

A chuckle reverberated throughout the empty forest. 2B felt her insides crawl in antipathy as she heard. More than its sinister echo, she felt 7B's insatiable desire of 'something' that 2B cannot comprehend.

"As expected, your movements are still top notch." 7B shook the dust off her dress. Her Pod hovered behind her on readied support.

"Analysis: 2B and 7B are equal in in terms of combat efficiency. Proposal: 7B should use this Pod effectively."

2B took fighting stance. She can feel the disadvantage against her. Indeed, with the Pod's support, she might have trouble in getting close to 7B. 'I have to destroy the pod first.' She dashed forward, unto the grey pod.

A Glaive—Noble Pledge— protected Pod 210; proceeded by a slash from her Zweihandler – Noble Aversion.

2B parried, sending sparks fly. She throws her large sword – Virtuous Treaty—towards the enemy, not letting herself breath for even a moment.

7B dodges without a sweat. 'Next is a light attack from the left.' She knew all of 2B's moves. Fluid, intuitive and sophisticated. She only watched them on video playbacks, but now that she's in front of THE 2B, she remained speechless. Even with the Pod's assist and battle info, she's already having a hard time going toe-to-toe. Pod 210 must've been lying earlier.

2B slashed from the left, only to be dodged at. 'She has my battle data!' Yet 2B pushes forward for the next attack. Little did 2B know that what she was doing was adding fuel to 7B's irrationality.

The dodge-attack-parry sequence soon became a beautiful sword dance. The Pod's bullets lighted their stage. Flashes from sword clashes highlighted their moves.

'At this rate, we won't get anywhere…!' 2B dodged a bullet by hair. '…I have to do something!' She hammers her sword on 7B with due agitation. 'Something I've never done before…!'

The two danced once more. It was art at play. A musical with two actresses. As a fellow E-type, 7B was proud to be fighting 2B. Her thoughts swirled with every pounce of the white katana. She couldn't place a finger to what she was feeling at the moment. Exhilaration powered her slashes; frenzy was taking over; her breathing became shorter. It was pure elation.

"Kuggh!"

A repressed scream of agony came from reality and the sound of metal being pierced derailed 7B's thoughts. She stopped all attacks at once. Then, another sound of crunching metal flew to 7B's ears. She couldn't make the decision as to where she should be looking at. Should her eyes stay at 2B's impaled left hand or should she be looking for her support unit's status? She lamented heavily. 7B needs her Pod to get even with 2B. 'This fight can't end!' Her thoughts thwarted from her mission.

7B diverted her eyes away from battle. "Pod!"

It was still recognizable. Its four arms were still intact to its rectangular body. But, there was a third object that wasn't supposed to be in the said body. A white heavy blade impaled the Pod.

'Now!' With her fastest speed and firmest grip, 2B swung her blade on 7B. Pain and tension rushed her to end the farce soon by sacrificing her left hand. Such was her plan. A 'something' that she wouldn't have done before. In slow motion, she sees her blade slice through android meat…but not to 7B's core.

"Aaaaaggghhhhhhh-!"

7B could hear herself in the wide wilderness. She witnessed through numbing pain that her desired battle could not last. And that was because 2B skipped killing her and decided to immobilize her instead. 7B's knees were now detached from her body. 7B's body collapsed as she let go of the Zweihandler that was impaling 2B's left hand.

The moment her Pod was destroyed, 7B was doomed to lose. She knew that but 2B didn't retaliate further. Instead, 2B let her live with crippled legs. After removing the Noble Aversion piercing her palm, 2B's bare back disappeared into the woods along with 7B's battle frenzy. For moments, 7B simply screamed while listening to her Pod's broken siren. It was blaring at her to chase the deserter which was now impossible.

Still, that didn't stop her from thinking. Through intense pain, 7B doubted everything that just happened. 'Why?…it was the best chance to finish me off…!' Was it on purpose? Was she mocking 7B by doing that? Why did 2B let her live?

'Did she let this sinful android (me) live?'

Red liquid kept on flowing out of 2B's hand. 'I have to close this wound fast.' Its droplets were markers counting down on her location. The screams of 7B tore through her like glass shards to paper. 2B knew those screams well. It was the same scream 9S voiced on her first kill. The type of scream that pointed no hatred. Only confusion and further confusion.


	6. Chapter 5

Why does that deserter have to walk all the way through this desert? Well, she must've done so to reduce the amount of trails to track her but still! The sand gets in your shoes, the wind blows sand on the face and the sand storm just clouds over the only source of light!

The grievances bottled in me as I go forward against the sand storm. 7B was with me, silently marching to our destination. However, I'm positive that she's smiling.

"Hey, 9S. Do you think we'll meet 2B soon?"

The muscles below my eye twitched involuntarily. This question was repeated several times ever since we landed on earth. At first I was laughing it off, saying that we'll probably meet her soon. Then she asks again. And again. And again. It felt like she was doing it on purpose. And right now I'm 100% sure that she's not really listening to my answers.

Sand was diminishing in quantity as we continued forward. The sandstorm was also reducing and I can finally see a different colour other than light brown sand.

"Actually, have you met 2B before?"

I stopped my tracks on the division of sand and grass. She knows that I just finished installing my default memory, right? "…no, I don't think I have."

"Oh bummer. That's just sad! 2B is so cool you know! She's one of those elite soldiers that get the job done whenever! And she does it pronto!"

I can hear pulses on my temples. A flash of annoyance wants me to push her over a sand hill. Does she understand that this elite android is a deserter? I try to mask the itchy feeling on my knuckles with a smile.

"Yeah. I'm sure she is."

"No no! You don't get it!" 7B turns around to my surprise. She's happily twirling towards me. "2B's not just your average elite soldier! 2B's more like a warrior slash knight slash soldier—"

I'm keeping my breath together as she continues to sing praises for the deserter. Annoyance boiled deep in my system. It churned within, itching for a slap on 7B's perfect cheeks. 2B this 2B that. Every mention of her name on that mouth makes the fire within me burn wider. _What the hell does she know about 2B?!_ At that moment, water as cold as ice washed over me. I can no longer hear 7B's outbursts. The bass sound of pulses rang within the depths of my consciousness. Just where is this anger coming from?

"—slash assassin kinda feel."

"…what?"

7B resumed walking towards our destination. She didn't hear me as I also failed to hear her last statement.

"Report: Units 7B and 9S are near the destination. Proposal: Equip weapons to prepare for possible combat."

Pod153 was the only Pod around us. Its mild warning hurried me to snatch the black hilted sword on my waist. This 'elite android' that 7B's been praising non-stop was last seen in this forest. It fought with a YoRHa android and, as what anyone would expect from an 'elite soldier', the deserter obliterated its enemy along with its Pod.

"No need for that. I'm sure 2B understands that going back to the crime scene isn't a good idea." The happy curves on her lips suddenly became flat serious.

Why's she talking like she knows the deserter from inside-out? It's like 7B has already met her a lot of times. I kept that thought as we got closer to our destination.

A dismembered tree greeted us. The leaves that were still attached to the tree were green, hinting that it's a recent cut. Well, that's the first thing to see in this messy set up. It doesn't take a genius to comprehend that one big fight happened here. One thing that makes me say so was the two-handed katana impaling a tree. The second thing was the pool of liquid that dyed the grass crimson red. I couldn't do anything but open my mouth in awe.

"Now, Scanner-kun. It's your time to shine." She crosses her arms. "15 hours before your activation, 2B was last seen here fighting with a YoRHa unit and as you can see…things didn't turn out well."

I blinked twice to make sure that I didn't just see things. 7B was frowning. Her hands balled to fists behind her crossed arms. She must be thinking of the android that was destroyed. Thinking words of sympathy.

"I just need to find her, right? I mean, Scanner models aren't meant for combat."

"Like the Commander said, we'll have to fight if 2B decides to."

"Yeah yeah~ I got it."

So when the Commander says jump, we say how high. Maybe the deserter betrayed YoRHa because of this? I shrug with an audible sigh. The chain of command is like that and we're soldiers deployed by Command. Still, even though we don't have much freedom, it's not a reasonable ground to point your gun against comrades. YoRHa Number 2 Type B…there must be a bigger reason for her betrayal.

I started to survey the surroundings. The ground crunched against my boots as I got closer to the white blade on the tree.

"Pod153, I'll be hacking this blade."

"Understood."

The moment I grasped its white hilt, I entered its hacking space. It was a pure white hacking region, at least 3 kilometres in diameter. It's what I'd expect from a weapon with limited storage space.

"There's nothing in here."

I looked left to right. It's as clean as it looks. Nothing's here. Only an empty space with floating white blocks and white ground. The longer I looked into this space searching for clues, the stronger my disappointment was. I expected there to be at least some bits of personal data and juicy information. Most Battle units usually store some on their weapons as a form of last will.

"Pod, confirm the owner of this blade."

"…."

"…Pod153?"

"…."

I massage my temples in contempt. Not this again. "If I find out you're doing this on purpose, I'll really report you to –"

" _You m-st b—2B."_

The voice echoed on the noiseless room. I immediately grab my holographic sword and turned about face. There was nothing.

" _My n-me –s 9S— I'm h—re to prov— sup—t"_

The voice was full of static noise that I could barely hear it right. I had to make out the words it spewed across this silent space. This audio file may provide valuable information against our target.

"You must be 2B. My name is….9…S….I'm here….to provide support…." I spoke the words I've heard. Like a baby repeating its mother's words, I didn't understand any of it. No. It's more like I denied every word at the back of my head. "What…is this…?" My name...I just said my name, didn't I? And I was addressing the deserter.

" _2B! –atch out!"_

" _That—could— been fatal— if—lifeforms wer— to attack."_

Someone lowered the non-existing thermostat in this hacking space. I remained flabbergasted as if someone punched my artificial lungs in full force. The words drifting through my ears became clearer and I didn't have to doubt who was saying which anymore. It sounded like they were taken on random times.

" _Say 2B, why don't we try it someday. Window shopping."_

This is my voice. A piece of audio data must be on autoplay somewhere out here. I should start searching for that…and yet...my holographic self failed to move. My limbs were there, frozen by questions and answers running out of control in my head. The one speaking is me, 9S. The one I'm speaking to is…the deserter? But when and why—

"… _when that day comes…I'm all for it…"_

Lightning stroked my spine in a painful jolt. The one that spoke. It was a female voice. She talked slowly as if shy. Slowly as if sad. It felt so near and… so familiar. Like a song from a music box.

"W _ere…the choices I made…wrong?"_

If it's so familiar, then I did get partnered with her before. These audio playbacks are mere proof of that along with this sense of nostalgia stabbing at me. Wrong? What are you talking about? What choices were you given? Why does your voice sound so miserable?

" _NINES!"_

That desperate shout was all over the place, howling. My grip was going numb and I can feel my pulse rising. I can't feel the sword anymore. Nines…that's what she said. Warmth filled my chest as I replayed the word within me. 'She finally called me Nines.' …Finally? What? What did I mean? Nines? That's my nickname right? I rest my cold free hand on my forehead hoping it'd cool me down. Why does she know that?

"…just who the hell are you, 2B?"

My logic circuits were bombarded with queries I failed to answer. The more questions piled up, the more frustration I felt. The answer is there but I can't grasp it. It's near and yet far away. It's at this time where you wish you'd just have an answer sheet for every question.

" _Official designation…YoRHa unit Number 2 Type B…2B."_

The voice this time was closer. Behind me, I glanced. I re-adjust my grip on my blade.

Blocks of data formed a humanoid shape in front of me. It had long monstrous arms and a body buffed with white blocks. It was about my height.

"This is…" I felt no hostility towards it. I don't have to. The blocks composing its body were floating and disappearing. Dissolving into the air of the hacking space. This is the clue I've been searching for.

" _That's what I always say on my introductions with him. But now that I've deserted, it doesn't really matter anymore."_

She sounds happy now that she has betrayed us. I can hear the laughs behind her speech. Then again, she sounds like she's mocking herself with how she speaks. Like she wants someone to belittle her.

" _It is said that I was modelled from a YoRHa test model who was the sole survivor in her group. Due to my combat capabilities and fast adaptability, I was given the designation of Number 2 Type E."_

"…Type…E?" I've never heard of that type before. Is it a new combat model? But what about her being a Battle Type? Was it a false identity? The more I raised my questions, the tighter my chest was squeezed by a strange warmth.

" _It's because of that role, itself, which I've decided to betray YoRHa. I just…can't bear to do it again. Meeting him only to know that I'd eventually part with him. Every time I fulfill the mission, a piece of me…dies out without warning. Every time I'm piercing my blade against—"_

The record crumbles before it could be finished. The longer she talked, the more she was about to cry. Even for someone like me who's just listening, I can't bear to hear more of her sobbing. It created a screeching pain somewhere in my head. The audio playbacks that I don't remember are here. Could it be that the 'him' she's saying here is...

" _I am recording this now so that anyone who stumbles upon this blade will witness…how unfit I am for my role. I'm sorry…Ni—"_

"9S!"

A roaring shout disrupted the audio file and I returned to my android body. My goggles masked the surprise and irritation I had for being sent back to my body without my consent.

"…did you order my Pod to cancel the hacking?"

"I did! You were taking too long so I got worried!"

I bite my lower lip in a mix of frustration. I can't help but want to throw a handful of rock against this idiotic android. She stopped me from searching clues because she was 'worried'?! You've got to be kidding me. If I knew it was dangerous, I'd immediately fall back! I'm not stupid!

"Since you took so long, you must've found something."

Parts of me were in unison. We didn't want to answer. Every time she opens her mouth makes me angrier. I couldn't get a move on from what 7B did a while ago. Who was 2B apologizing to? What did she do for such an apology? Who is this 'him'? The longer I questioned myself, the scarier the silence 7B had. For a girl with a supposedly flippant attitude, I can tell from the straight-laced lips that she's staring daggers at me.

"...type E."

7B seemingly quivered by the mention of the words. I took note of the subtle reaction.

"There was a corrupted audio file where in she stated her designation." She also said it was her reason for leaving. That's not it. It's because of 'him' that she deserted. Whoever that 'him' is, I feel nothing but disgust and envy for it. "I've never heard of a type E. Have you-"

My mouth clammed up before I could even finish the question. The pressure I'm perceiving was a thousand times stronger than before. I can hear the black box in me shaking. After being re-installed, this is the first time I'm feeling fear. And it's because 7B removed her blindfolds and stared at me like an abyss.

"Where is that audio file you're talking about."

"I-it was corrupted and it eroded on its own." I stuttered.

"No traces were left? No intel about where and when it was recorded?"

"...None. Everything was crumbling so I doubt there's anything left." I lied. Only that Type E file was crumbling to dust. The other audio files are within me. I couldn't see myself telling this to 7B. There is still a part of me that couldn't forgive her for dragging me out of that hacking space. Also, there is a part of me that has lost its trust on her. This kind of reaction from a mere mention of Type E. She knows something.

7B sighs loudly in disappointment. She slides her goggles up to her eyes. "And I thought we'd finally have some clues."

"I still haven't seen the surrounding area. Let's not give up yet," I say with a bright smile. If it's a battle of acting, I doubt I'll lose.

I began to search for physical clues. I ignored the pool of blood, knowing that it's from the YoRHa unit that got annihilated. I knelt down near it, focusing on the smaller drips of blood near the pool.

"Pod, I hope you're responsive now."

"Response: This Pod was never offline, therefore it was always responsive."

"Whatever you say. For know, analyze this blood over here. See if there's a difference between this and that pool of blood."

"You don't have to." The female android said as she fitted her arm-guard. "Those small droplets are 2B's."

I knitted my brows in suspicion. "How do you know that?"

"I just know." She walks away and follows the trail of blood that ran out of the investigation area.

Don't give me that. We can't afford to just jump to conclusions. And let's say that this IS 2B's blood. Isn't this looking like an obvious trap? I can't imagine that an elite android would be having difficulties with a single enemy. Unless the enemy was equally powerful.

"Report: Droplets of blood traced from the YoRHa model No.2 Type B. It is hypothesized that she was injured from the battle that occurred."

"Told you so. You know, for a Scanner model, you lack perception."

The twitch on my falsely grinning face says it all. I do hate this female android. I drag myself to follow her as she follows the trail of blood. I didn't forget to keep tabs on 7B's peculiar mood swings and her probable knowledge on the Type Es. In the end nothing was answered for me. Not what the E-types are. Not Pod's dodgy responses. Nor the reason why my audio files were in the white blade.


End file.
